Every autumn on the Sacramento State campus, bright yellow ginkgo leaves fall from their branches and form vibrant canvases for environmental artist Joanna Hedrick, who patiently shapes them into mesmerizing designs. With a humble rake as her paintbrush, she creates ephemeral works of art that make a lasting impression.

It’s been 16 years since Jackie Greene’s album "Gone Wanderin' " was named one of the best releases of 2002 by "Rolling Stone." Since then, he’s made eight more records, trotted the globe as lead guitarist of The Black Crowes, and toured with Lyle Lovett and B.B King. And now, after a decade away from his hometown, Sacramento’s prodigal singer-songwriter has returned with a wife, a daughter, and, yes, new music on the way. It’s time to shake, (baby) rattle and roll.

Amid a contentious transition, Sacramento Ballet alumna Amy Seiwert returns to the company as its new artistic director. Building on what her former mentors created over the course of nearly 30 years, she begins the delicate dance between respecting the troupe’s long-held traditions and pushing it in a decidedly bolder, more modern direction.

After decades of blight, one of Sacramento’s most critical blocks—linking the Golden 1 Center to the rest of K Street—is about to become an instant neighborhood, bursting into existence with hundreds of new residents and the city’s most concentrated collection of local retailers and restaurateurs. Here’s how a small group of visionary developers may have created the blueprint for how to design, build and curate the downtown of our dreams.

UC Davis professor Harris Lewin is about to launch one of the most audacious scientific ventures in human history—to map the DNA of every living thing on Earth. The 10-year, $5 billion quest could result in a tsunami of medical cures, solutions for global hunger, and the creation of a new “Silicon Valley of agricultural science and biotechnology” right here in our backyard. Oh, and it might save the planet too.

On Feb. 22, just over 1,000 immigrants from 81 different countries gathered at Memorial Auditorium to take the oath of allegiance to become our country's newest citizens. It was, ironically, the same day that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services agency removed the description of the U.S. as "a nation of immigrants" from its mission statement. We spoke with 15 of the proud new Americans who were sworn in about this milestone moment in their lives and what it meant to them. "I was born today—reborn, actually," said Tunisian native Gaith Ben Younes after the ceremony. "It's something I've been dreaming of for a long time."

He jumps freight trains for fun. The FBI thought he might be the Unabomber. He won the National Book Award the same year as Joan Didion. And some people think he’s a lock to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Acclaimed author William T. Vollmann gives us a peek inside his Sacramento studio (and his head) on the eve of releasing his new books on climate change and the end of the world as we know it. Yes, Bill, we’ll take that scotch right about now, thank you.

At 97 years of age, he is unequivocally one of the world’s greatest living artists. But back in 1959, Wayne Thiebaud was still trying to find his way as a young college professor at UC Davis. As a new exhibition explores the decade that defined his signature style, the prolific painter and passionate teacher reflects on his not-so-still life.

Cue the tin soldiers, tiny mice, reindeer and falling snow. In December, the Sacramento Ballet celebrates 30 years of presenting its distinctive version of "The Nutcracker." As a large crew of dancers and children—500 in all—prepare to take the stage, Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda, in their final season as the company’s artistic directors, visit the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.

Greta Gerwig proves that you can indeed go home again with her stunning directorial debut "Lady Bird," a semi-autobiographical story about the Sacramento native’s senior year in high school. In her “love letter” to the River City, she fills the screen with nostalgia-soaked scenes of local landmarks and neighborhoods, revisiting her youth with the thoughtful perspective that only time can bring. And if growing Oscar buzz for the film is any indication, this is just the beginning for the first-time auteur and newly crowned Hollywood royalty. Long may she reign.

Go grab your raspberry beret: To kick off its 2017-18 pops series, the Sacramento Philharmonic will salute Prince with an orchestral concert on Nov. 25 riffing on the greatest hits of the prolific pop icon, who died last year at 57.

If you felt the pulse of the city quickening the last time you spent an evening out dining, shopping or gallery hopping in midtown, Oak Park or the R Street Corridor, Ron Vrilakas likely had a hand in that.

The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera’s upcoming rendition of La Traviata marks the return of opera to the Sacramento stage after a three-year absence. But this time you can forget about fancy sets and fusty wigs. In keeping with the national trend, this will be a stripped-down, modern production that depends on vocal and orchestral work to quicken audiences’ pulses.

The New Yorker has called him “one of the most important political writers working in America today.” Time magazine has called him a hero of the environment. But it’s being a science fiction author that has landed Kim Stanley Robinson on the global literary map and The New York Times bestseller list.

An extraordinary arts community sprouted in the fields of UC Davis in the 1960s. Now, with the opening of the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum, a building every bit as innovative as the art it houses, the legacy of that improbable era of California art history is on glorious display for all to see—and touch.

For the plaza outside the new Kings arena, Sacramento pulled out all the stops and spent $8 million to land Jeff Koons’ sculpture "Coloring Book" in what was the art world equivalent of a No. 1 draft pick—expensive and potentially game-changing. Here’s the behind-the-scenes look at how fate, fortunes and family connections came together to make it possible.

A veteran of ABC shows like "Once Upon a Time" and "Alias," actress Merrin Dungey will return to the alphabet network this fall to co-star in the new legal drama "Conviction." The Rio Americano alum talks about growing up in Citrus Heights as a Charlie’s Angel, her motto “no cuts, no buts, no coconuts,” and that time she accepted a secret mission from J.J. Abrams.

Four years ago, swimmer Haley Anderson made waves when she captured the silver medal in the 10,000-meter open water race at the London Olympics. Now this tough Granite Bay competitor hopes she’s as good as gold in Rio this summer.

After taking on the National Football League with his stunning discovery about the long-term damaging effects of concussions, and then being portrayed by Will Smith in one of the most high-profile dramas of 2015, Dr. Bennet Omalu has now become a powerful voice for athletes, military veterans and children alike. Here’s how a Sacramento pathologist journeyed from
a poverty-striken childhood in Nigeria to his new role as a global game changer in the world of science.

The governor of California lives in one of his loft projects; the mayor of West Sacramento is moving into one of his townhomes. Even Barack Obama dropped by his office en route to the presidency. The scion of one of Sacramento’s most prominent power couples, developer Mark Friedman is now stepping onto center court, hoping to shape the way we live and play through forward-thinking design, starting with the city’s highest-profile building since the State Capitol. Meet our city’s newest game changer.

Celebrity chef Martin Yan returns to his Aggie roots to help lead the new Confucius Institute at UC Davis, which is dedicated to exposing the region to China’s storied culinary culture. Get ready to wok and roll.

The Crocker Art Museum is honoring him with a major retrospective. The
California Hall of Fame is about to induct him alongside Barbra Streisand and James Cameron. And the New York Times’ chief art critic says there’s “no painter in America that is more satisfying or skilled.” But on the eve of his 90th birthday, after a career that took him from Disney to the Whitney, Sacramento’s Wayne Thiebaud is hardly resting on his laurels. In fact, he’s just getting warmed up.

He grew up knowing some of America’s greatest photographers, from Edward Weston (his namesake) to Ansel Adams. A new exhibit focuses on Kurt Edward Fishback’s black-and-white portraits of some equally famous and very colorful artists.

Charles and Ray Eames were two of the 20th century’s greatest creative minds, but only recently has Ray received the public recognition she deserves.

Charles and Ray Eames were two of the 20th century’s greatest creative minds, but only recently has Ray received the public recognition she deserves. In celebration of what would’ve been the designer’s 100th birthday, The California Museum honors this Sacramento native with the first-ever museum exhibit that focuses on this remarkable woman and her extraordinary work.

If Sacramento is the River City, then Gregory Kondos has been its most faithful champion. Long celebrated for his local landscapes that employ virtually every shade of blue in the spectrum, the soon-to-be 90-year-old painter is about to get the birthday present of a lifetime—his first solo show at the Crocker in 20 years. Blue skies are here again.

He was a principal dancer for the Boston Ballet, he choreographed the first American ballet in China, and he has performed with the legendary Rudolf Nureyev. On the verge of his 25th anniversary at the helm of the Sacramento Ballet, Ron Cunningham has his own Cinderella story to tell.

Artist Adrian Tomine, who first got hooked on comics while growing up in Sacramento, is now creating covers for The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine—and that’s in his spare time, when he’s not busy reinventing the American comic book

In the ’80s, Charlie Peacock was jamming with Randy Jackson in midtown Sacramento and being asked to open for a then-fledgling U2 in Davis. These days, he’s collaborating with the American Idol judge on TV projects and having Bono over to his house for breakfast. This is the unlikely tale of a kid from Yuba City who moved to Nashville to become a Grammy-nominated producer and multiplatinum songwriter, and his journey back home to where he once belonged.

Sacramento singer-songwriter Andy Allo may have gotten her start at an open mic night at Fox & Goose, but after a year touring the world with Prince, she has a new album (produced by Prince) and a solo tour on the way (on which Prince may join her).

Pamela Anderson dropped her robe for him, Paul McCartney bought one of his
pieces, and Claudia Schiffer tried to have his nude painting of her lounging on a hot dog destroyed. Oh, and one of America’s greatest artists says he’s better than Andy Warhol.

Artist David Garibaldi has been wowing Sacramento crowds for years with his full-throttle live performances. But now this one-time graffiti-loving troublemaker is going global with the world’s largest entertainment company. Meet the man who’s putting the “dope” in Dopey.

It’s a pretty safe bet that Jim Czajkowski, aka James Rollins, is the only licensed veterinarian in El Dorado Hills whose books routinely land on The New York Times
best-seller list. With his newest thriller out June 21, the multi-named author discusses his connection with Indiana Jones,
Dan Brown and how, after eight
novels, his biweekly writers’ group at Coco’s is still kicking his ass.

A local band goes country strong, landing on Country Music Television and opening for Willie Nelson and LeAnn Rimes. Now Attwater comes home for the holidays with a shiny new Christmas EP and takes Sacramento’s biggest stage

He’s the first person to rap extensively in the Punjabi language, he’s written songs for Bollywood films (one with Rob Lowe) and has almost as many Facebook fans as Missy Elliott. How did an Elk Grove teenager grow up to become the King of Punjabi Rap?

Native daughter Joan Didion reflects on the untimely deaths of her husband and daughter, the difficulty of parenting and her Sacramento roots.

On the eve of her 77th birthday, Sacramento’s native daughter Joan Didion reflects on the untimely deaths of her husband and daughter, the difficulty of parenting, and why, as a teenager, she really wanted a job at the California State Fair.

She barely sleeps, has preternaturally thick skin, wears patent leather boots that put Wonder Woman’s to shame, and is so tough that she’s been known to eat bees (and the occasional elementary school principal). In a few short months, the most controversial public school reformer in the country will move to Sacramento where, in an order known only to her, she plans to launch a national education initiative, raise one billion dollars, forever change the face of schools in America and marry our mayor. Who is Michelle Rhee and why can’t anyone agree if she’s a superhero to our kids or just one very smiley villainess?